Impact
by klcm
Summary: It's always the tech that helps and now the tech's in danger of losing their life, making the team realise the importance of one person in their life.
1. Initial Impact

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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_**A/N:**_ So not entirely new! Just been stagnating in a folder, the muse finished it up and so I thought I might as well POST for your reading ability!

As for my newest story, The Last Of Our Mistake, it's ready and waiting to be posted!! So don't worry about that! The other stories are, well, 'sleeping' for the moment!

Enjoy! Read! Review! My muse will make new stories for me!! =)

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'Hotchner.' Hotch said as he answered his phone tiredly. The last case now dawning on them that it was over, sucking the last traces of their energy levels.

'I see you have finally got signal then Agent Hotchner.' Strauss said down the phone, her voice strained and scarily quivering with nerves.

'Well we just got on the highway and heading back now.'

'Okay well I don't want to alarm you but your tech, Garcia, was admitted to hospital last night.'

'Hang on a minute.' Hotch said as he put the phone on speak so that Derek, Rossi and Emily could hear. 'Okay carry on, is she okay?'

'She was involved in a car accident last night with Kevin Lynch.'

'Yes, but is she okay?'

'She's critical, the hospital don't hold much hope of her making it... they tried to get hold of you, but couldn't get through so called me.'

'Signal was bad.' Hotch said trying to keep an even tone to his voice. 'How's Lynch?'

'He is fine, in prison as we speak.'

'In prison?'

'He caused the accident.'

'How?'

'Agent Hotchner, I think its best you got your team to the hospital and ask questions later.' Strauss said sternly. 'I'll meet you there later... I don't expect any of you in for 2 weeks.' The line went dead and he looked directly at Derek who was staring emotionless.

'She'll pull through.'

'We don't know that, she seemed pretty certain there that she's not pulling through this one Hotch.'

'Don't doubt her.' They spent the rest of the journey in their own silence, Hotch had rang to JJ and Reid in the other SUV and alerted them to follow them to the hospital, when they got there they all grouped and walked in like pack ready to protect their own. They found out where she was and went directly there, only then did it all settle in.

'I'm Doctor. Jones, I'm looking after Ms Garcia, I'm guessing you are those on Ms Garcia's contact list?' The doctor said as he greeted them at last.

'We are, we were away hence why you couldn't get hold of us.'

'I'm glad you are here now.' He looked at them, both women red eyed, the youngster of them all looking near there, the big black man looking like tears were threatening to fall, and the two older men keeping all emotions well hidden. 'I'm sure you want to see her, but first I suppose you want to know about her condition?'

'Please.'

'Well firstly, she is extremely critical, we're not sure how much trauma her body can sustain any longer, she's unable to breathe on her own, due to the severity of damage that impact left her chest in. Her entire right side of her body is either broken or severely fractured from the impact.'

'What hit them?'

'A truck, it seems the driver of Ms Garcia's car shot through red lights and the oncoming traffic was already in full flow, it would appear she braced herself which is why she wasn't killed with impact.'

'Braced herself?'

'You need to talk to the police chief in charge but she was made aware of the driver's intentions moments before he did it.' Everyone saw red at that point. 'Luckily there is no damage to her back which we would expect from such high velocity impacts, she'll be immobile for a bit if she's pulls through but at the moment her chances of survival are hardly reaching the 50/50 marker.'

'Isn't there anything you can do?'

'This is just a waiting game now, we've done everything we can, it's up to her body now.' He saw them all nod acceptingly. 'Would you like to be taken to her?' Again they nodded. 'I can only allow one of you in at a time.'

'That's fine.' Hotch answered for them all. The team then followed the man down the corridor and then stop outside a room with glass panels. They all looked in and at Penelope, the majority of her skin covered with bandages, her eyes closed, her mouth circling a tube that really was her life, without that she wouldn't even have been that alive.

The next couple of days passed slowly, with no work to do the team all found themselves keeping a vigil at Penelope's side. All silently praying that she'd wake up, that this wouldn't be it, that they'd hear her voice or see her smile sparkle again. They all panicked as the monitor's flat lined twice in those days, and couldn't relax when it returned to a casual steady beat of her heart, they knew that her doing that was her weakening and as much as it hurt to think of it, her weakening was her dying, dying right in front of their eyes.

'I think we need to be talking to her.' Hotch prompted as he watched from the large window of Penelope's room, as JJ sat in the room, her hand near Penelope's, silence everywhere. 'She needs to hear our voices and I'm guessing we've all been too scared to talk to her.'

'I need her to answer me.' Emily admitted, her head in her hands, tiredness draping itself under her eyes.

'What if we miss the monitor change?' Reid asked clueless and lost for once.

Rossi and Derek remained silent as JJ got up and left the room, her expression blank, not wanting to exude too many emotions, she was too overwhelmed that she'd break if even one leaked.

'We'll go in one at time; we got to try everything we can.' Hotch told them and entered the room, JJ looking for answers.

'What's he doing?'

'He thinks if we talk to her, it might bring us back.'

'It could work, kind of like will her back?' Rossi nodded in response and thy watched the door to Penelope's room close so Hotch could have some private time; they knew this was going to become a private moment for them all.

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A/N: What you think? I went for worst case scenario! Sorry! =(


	2. Hotch: Not Without You

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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Hotch couldn't help but cough as he sat on the left side of Penelope, as though the one noise would evoke some response. He slipped his hand in hers and waited for a squeeze or jolt or anything that would make him believe that there would be a happier end to this situation.

He looked up from her intact hand and looked over her face, her body encased in black, purple, blue, red, yellow colourings, colours that shouldn't be there at all. He sucked in a breath and thought of a speech, one that would just express what she was to him.

'Penelope, you need to know that you are the infuriatingly loveable person I know and I wouldn't change you for the world.' He started, knowing that that was how he saw her, he looked down then up again, as though he couldn't stay looking at her face while she remained unmoved. 'I remember the first time we worked with you on your first case, we all laughed that the case would take long to do, a new tech was never good but from the first phone call you never came up empty handed. You knew what we needed most of the time before we knew and for that I think I can vouch for everyone we're forever grateful.'

He felt himself relax. 'Even when cases got so tense and all I wanted to do was get stuck in you came on the phone and would spout some random innuendo that would be rude or sarcastic and I honestly didn't care, it lifted everyone's mood, it made the job more comprehensible, easier. If you don't wake up and come back to us, I seriously think that the team, our team, will fall apart on us.'

'I know you won't want to see that, from wherever and I pray that you know that if you go, you take a part of us. We're all too together, like a pack of animals, we look out for one another and at times I wish I had looked out for you more... I wish now that sitting here I could've seen Lynch for what he was, that he was never normal.'

He laughed. 'Not that you are, you're anything BUT normal but I'd never change you for anything. Even if I did question getting you drug tested from time to time.' He laughed again as he thought back to funnier times. 'I really do appreciate the work you do for us, more so than you'll ever know and more so than anyone's ever given you praise for.' It was then he broke. 'I just can't imagine work without you, I don't want to have to imagine it without you, life would be wrong without you in it.' His fingers tightened on her hand, in an act for comfort, for life. 'I don't ask for much but please just wake up for us all.' He kissed her hand and stood after a prolonged silence, taking one last look at her; he then left and rejoined the others.


	3. Emily: You Made Me Family

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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Emily stepped uncomfortably into the room, she took the seat that Hotch used, now cold from the hesitation they all put up. She too took Penelope's hand and hoped for the simple gesture of life from her.

'I got to thank you Penelope Garcia.' She started, she smiled and the tears came. 'You made me feel welcomed when all I thought was that I was the unwelcomed party in the group but you treated me like I'd been here from the beginning and I'm scared that if you go, I'll lose that feeling. I know that's selfish and if anyone has to tell me that I want it to be you that does it.'

'There's a whole family out there just willing you to wake up from all angles, I mean I'm scared Derek's going to burst a vein if he bottles up anything else.' She shifted her fingers with Penelope's. 'I remember the first time I saw you and Derek together, I was shocked to find out you weren't together as a couple, I don't see how you can have so much chemistry going on but not act on it, but I suppose I applauded you for that because you have some many attributes that I wish I had. Derek showed me the family we were the most and I'm glad to be a part of it, I feel like I've been blessed. I mean if you look at us its kind of like Hotch and Rossi are the parents and us lot fall into the grounds of the kids.' She laughed again and sucked in a shaky breath as more tears came.

'I'm scared Pen.' She admitted and let the tears mar her cheeks unevenly. 'I'm scared as I look at you now, I can't cope with you so broken, I need you up and running about fixing us all and being the one that makes us laugh, this, this here isn't normal. It's scaring me to miss your voice and I don't want this to be like it forever.' She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and felt the eyes of the team on her. 'Everyone's watching me cry now, I've only ever come near to tears before but you, you break me down and make me cry because it's you and whether you like it or not you're like my best friend, my sister and I need two sister's in my life, you and JJ, you're a pair but I can't do with one without the other.'

Emily finished and looked over Penelope's still frame and assessed he injuries that showed up with the sheet over her. 'I know it's probably hurting like hell, what Lynch did that is but that doesn't mean we'll never get over it, you'll bounce back, you always do and I will always appreciate that about you, I need you to bounce back Penelope, not right now but soon for all of us. We won't cope without you.' She spoke those words and stood and left the room, straight into JJ's tearful embrace.


	4. Reid: My Big Sister

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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Reid shuffled in unwillingly, the last place he wanted to be was at a hospital, the last person he wanted to see in this state was Penelope but he sucked in a breath, closed the door, and took the still warm seat, as he sat there he contemplated taking her hand and decided he'd be stronger not taking it so instead he looked over her face, the one that usually held a smile, the one that was now cut up and angrily covered in bruises.

'You do realise you're like the big sister I never had Garcia. The one that's just there, whether or not we ask, or at first don't want you, you're there and I can't live without that. I'm sure you've heard that from Hotch and Emily so far but it's true, you're such a dynamic being to us all, and you're good at stress relieving. Each day one quarter of a million people are off work due to stress, but not us, no, not the BAU team and that's because of you Penelope. Stress doesn't have time to build up for us because you're always there to defuse it from our systems even if it is over the phone.' He found his hand nearing her hand but was too scared to take it so retreated to his comfort zone. 'Most people dread going to work like ours because stress gets too much for them cope but I love it, I always want to know what you're going to come out with and you never disappoint.'

'I don't want to go to work if you aren't there Pen, I really don't.' He said and found his hand in hers as he felt like a little boy all over again. 'I mean, who's going to enjoy my physic magic? Or allow me to be my age when I want to be? Or embrace my stupid facts even though you don't care? I need all of them. They're a comfort me. It was like when I got that anthrax poisoning and I rang and you weren't your normal self, you were far from it and that scared me, I promised to come back and you gave me a little joke and settled back to being you, you never disappoint.'

Reid then let his eyes wonder. 'Why didn't we just shove you and Derek together? You wouldn't be here, you wouldn't have been in the situation with Battle either, you would've been with Derek and happy, less drama. I want you two happier and if you skip out you drag us all with you Penelope, and Derek isn't going to get back up, he needs you just like we all do.' He sucked in a shaky breath. 'It's all selfish traits but you haven't been that talkative to us these last couple of days, you need to come back to us and tell us what you want from life, what makes you tick, how we can make you happy. I want my big sister back.' He finally admitted and stood and then left.


	5. JJ: Disappointed This Is Winning

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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JJ repeated what she had done earlier and scooped up Penelope's hand into hers, this time tightening her grip ever so slightly, not too tight, for fear she might hurt but tight enough that for someone that was awake would've evoked some type of reaction.

'I'm disappointed.' JJ began after much hesitated. 'I'm a bit put down that this has got the better of you Pen, if you wanted to you could just open your eyes and be done with it but you're not, and now you're sleeping on us and I'll call it sleeping because the unthinkable isn't going to happen now is it?' She asked Penelope's silent body. 'Henry needs you Pen, that little boy needs to grow up knowing what an amazing Godmother he has but I don't what him to know through stories or pictures, I want him to experience the wonders that come with the eccentric Penelope Garcia.' JJ didn't realise she was crying at that point but upon knowing she released more tears.

'See what you do to me?' She asked Penelope. 'If you opened your eyes you'd see that you've reduced me to tears yet again but I want to be crying because I've laughed too much not because you're hurt but because you're spouting some wise crack at us, or being unintentionally dirty down the phone.' Her fingers fidgeted with Penelope's, she watched them and then looked up Penelope's bruised arm before settling on her face. 'I got to say you got us a good one this time, getting shot wasn't enough for you no? Of course not, always the shocker with you, well put that trait into use Pen, wake up. Shock us and wake up, shock those doctors that think they know it all, that tell us that it's up to your body if you wake up. Make it up to you, make it your choice to come back to us because we're cracking out there and soon it's going to be irreversible.'

JJ looked up to clear her eyes. 'I remember when Strauss was on a case with us and Derek told you to not be dirty but you did it anyway.' JJ laughed lightly. 'Her face was priceless, so was Derek's. We want more cases like that Pen, more of you to brighten us up.' It then dawned on her. 'What about Derek?' She whispered as it was one of those secret moments. 'He's going to need you around for a long time Pen. You two love each other outside the realms of family and I know I'm going to be heartbroken if you give up the ghost and skip out but he, well I can't even think about it. I just want you to know that you might have lost a family when you were 18 but you gained one the moment you joined Hotch's team and if you don't wake up it'll be irrecoverable to get it back on track. You mean too much Pen to all of us, just wake up and see that- please.' With the last plea out she took to the waiting game outside.


	6. Rossi: Harder Than This

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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Rossi entered the room, closed the door and sat down in one flowing movement; there was no strain to it. The only strain he had was on his face as he looked at one of his own so hurt, so diminished, so nearly gone.

'Now, now Garcia I had you down as harder stuff than this. Hard as nails type of person is the common consensus but if you let a geek like Lynch beat you before you've shown us your potential both professionally and personally then I don't think I could ever forgive you.'

'There's 6 of us that would go to hell and back for you to wake up for us, we'd probably sacrifice ourselves for you, just so that one of the good people can stick around on earth for even just a little bit longer. I know that with you waking up is going to bring about a whole new world of pain than what you know and it's going to be difficult but you have 6 of us willing to help you through it, just give us the chance to prove to you what we'd do for you.'

Rossi sat back in the chair, not quite knowing where to take it now. 'I remember when I first saw you.' He thought if anywhere a memory of the past would help. 'It was brief, you came into the conference room and looked a little shocked to see me, you even recoiled at the pictures on the wall that we were going through. I actually thought to myself, great the BAU's employing weak links now but you do look, when you have to you do but other than that you avoid it to help you cope. Now I appreciate that about you, how you try to keep the good side of life alive even though we know the dark side is so close to taking over.' He sucked in a breath and ran his hands over his face.

'This has got to be the most said thing to date but 'you have to wake up', and selfishly for us, so we can have you in our lives. I've seen the team go through some pretty dark stuff but with your overly friendly banter and funny quips it brings us back to the surface and as much as Strauss hates it, it's probably you that helps us get over the majority of what we see.'

'I'll make a deal with you Garcia.' He prompted her, watching her hand, as his took it gently. 'You wake up, I'll talk to Strauss while Hotch bangs yours and Morgan's heads together to just admit you love each other. Now wake up and tell me I'm wrong with you loving him, I dare you.' She remained the same. 'So I'll talk to Strauss and have that door wide open because you'd make 6 of us extremely happier people when you get it open but to do that you have to wake up.' He decided enough was said and just left silently.


	7. Derek: Just Come Back

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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Derek walked in, pressed the door shut and hovered, waiting for an invitation to sit but when it didn't come after a couple of minutes he sat down and straight way put both of his hands on hers. He began to cry, not caring what was thought of him.

'Baby girl.' He said, that was the only way he could start. 'I knew Lynch would be angry when you broke it off but not this angry and I can't help but feel responsible that I caused this, that me confessing put you here, like my comment about Battle put you in that hospital bed.' He shook his head. 'I need to stop this blame game because you're going to come back to me and be stronger than you were and you're going to hit me if I play that game ever again when you're concerned.' He smiled, that was part of their last conversation.

'I'm not going to feel bad for falling in love with you, it just happened and I'm not going to feel bad for telling you when you were with Lynch. I couldn't not tell you, it needed to be said as much as you waking up needs to be done goddess. Just open your eyes look at me and go to sleep to get better.' He said letting some tears fall onto his hands, on to the bed, wherever they fell he didn't care. 'Just don't let this be it. Don't let me have my last imagine of my baby girl, lying in a hospital bed hurt. I want to see you old and happy and as my wife.' He laughed at himself. 'What am I saying, I haven't even taken you on a date, but let me.'

'We need you so much Angel, we need you to waltz in and electrify our lives, we need your tone of voice to assure us that what we're doing is worth it and will help protect. We need that because it helps you too. I know we could do a hell of a lot better helping you get through what you see and if you just wake up, we'll do that. I'll do that, I'll make sure I'm there to help you through it all but if you don't wake up, how am I going to prove it?'

'Do you remember the first day I called you baby girl?' He let out a small laugh. 'I felt like such an idiot but you turned and in that voice of yours repeated it and I knew you were something special and with my apology something happened, we learnt a lot about each other in those few moments we had and ever since I've praised those words for ever escaping my lips and I'll thank God for putting us on this world so we could meet. I just have one thing I want though. Come back so I can learn more, there's so much more that we need to get through and I can't do it alone baby, I need you by my side. So please come back to me. Please.' He then sat there in silence, unwilling to move, just in hope that she'd move, or twitch or anything that showed she was trying to get back to them.


	8. Everything Happens For A Reason

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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Derek had forgotten how long he had been sitting there, he jumped out of his reverie when the small hand in his closed slowly and weakly and he looked up to see Penelope's eyes looking at him in bewilderment terror. He smiled but as he did his eyes seem to pour with more tears, ones that were happy, ones that were hopeful.

He jumped up as, and in a rush kissed her hand. 'I'll be right back baby girl; I'm going to get a doctor.' He ran to the door, shot out and came back with a nurse. 'I told you I'd be back.' He said as he kept his promise, he took Penelope's hand as the terror stuck firmly in her eyes as the tears were falling. It was then his heart bottomed at the pain that was evident in those usually live wire eyes.

He was pushed from the room as a doctor and numerous nurses streamed in to help. He watched as they swamped Penelope and he so wanted to be in there holding her hand, trying to will the scared look in her eyes away.

'She shouldn't be alone.' Derek exclaimed as Hotch clamped a hand on his shoulder. 'She looked petrified!'

'Morgan! Calm it!' Hotch told him, as they all stood and banded together. 'Let them do their job, she's up at least.' He said with a smile. 'It's all up from here.'

'How can you be sure?' Derek asked after a deliberated hesitation.

'You're welcome to go back in now.' The doctor said with a smile. That itself was the confirmation.

'Is everything okay?'

'I'd say she's out of the woods but we'd need to give her at least 24 hours of her breathing on her own before we can make a permanent prognosis but so far it's looking a lot more promising than we have been thinking. She's in a bit of pain and she's going to be but we'll keep the pain meds up high which should make her sleep a lot but for the moment she'll be awake until they take effect.' He smiled at them. 'I bet you want to go into her so go, she'll like some familiar faces around her after that party of nurses.' He then left them with a new air to breathe.

They all entered to see Penelope blink tiredly and they couldn't have asked for a better sight if they had the choice. At first they didn't know what to do, if standing around was good, or sitting, or if staying in the room would be overwhelming for Penelope but it was as Penelope's good arm reached up that they wanted to leap in and make her stay still.

'Stay.' She rasped out before putting the mask back and dragging in some deep breaths. 'Don't leave me... yet' Her words came out slurred and her eyes stayed closed as the drugs over took her system and numbed the pains putting her in a blackened oblivion. They all blew out relief and sat down where possible, not going to break the request they had been offered. They had another week's worth of time off and they were going to stick around and get what they wanted. Their tech was back.

'You lot are too smiley.' Penelope quipped a couple of days later when she was more alert. 'And you talk more than me.'

'Oh! Should we be offended by that remark?' Emily asked sarcastically.

'No, not at all... I liked you having a say for once.'

'Liked?' JJ asked a little confused as Henry bounced on her lap. 'Does that mean you heard us?'

'I did, it was almost dreamlike but you were all in my head, one at a time.'

'What did you hear?' They saw a bit of colour flush into Penelope's cheeks. 'Well?'

'Boss man telling me you'd all fall apart without me, which is ridiculous.'

'No it isn't!' They all exclaimed together beating down Penelope's claim; they then prompted her to carry on.

'Fine.' She breathed out and shifted to get comfortable. 'Emily...' She said dragging in a breath. 'Told me I made her part of our family when she started.'

'That's quite true.' Reid commented.

'You sweetie said I was like your big sister.' Everyone nodded at the truth to that sentence. 'JJ said she was disappointed with that I wasn't waking up and that Henry needed me as much as you lot did. Rossi told me he thought I was harder than I was making out.'

'These are pretty spot on Penelope.' Hotch said after digesting that she had heard 5 out of the 6 testimonies. 'What about Derek?'

'Started to play the blame game didn't you handsome?'

'But...' He went to defend himself.

'He stopped because he knew I'd hit him for it...when I could that is.'

'Why were you playing the blame game in the first place?'

'I told Penelope I loved her before we went off on the case.' Derek said almost bashful if not entirely embarrassed.

'Let's just say that I was breaking up with Lynch.' She said as a new set of drugs washed into her system, calming the pains. 'I just didn't think I meant that much to you.'

'Well now you do, we're just sorry it took almost losing you to realise it.'

'Is it an easy pass to kick arse in the afterlife?' Hotch asked rhetorically making them laugh. 'Because I will find you Garcia, there'll be no rest for you if you dare skip out on us.'

'That's not fair though.'

'How baby girl? Get some sleep; this conversation will be here when you wake up.' Derek soothed as they realised her speech was more slurred, slower and it became a near whisper. He then looked up as everyone watched him. 'What?'

'So you professed love for your infamous baby girl?'

'While she was in an established relationship.' Rossi reminded.

'I more blurted it out and she kind of well accepted it and reciprocated so yeah... it went from there.'

'So you have loved her for how long?'

'Probably since she accepted me into her life.' Derek said looking down. 'I was petrified that this was it, that this was going to end it all and I'd never have my chance to prove to her what she meant to me.'

'But now you can, like we all can.'

'This past couple of days has truly put things into perspective.'

'How could it not? I mean we've ignored what's been under our noses all along.'

'But we know what she is to us now and that's what counts.' Hotch said settling back satisfied with their feat this time.

'As Pen always says, everything happens for a reason.' Derek said subconsciously running his thumb up Penelope's hand. 'I think we can all say she's definitely right on that one.'

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_**A/N:**_ THE END!!

Was that a flop? I hope not!

How could I let her die? I couldn't! Simple as! Lol Well I hope you enjoyed anyways and thanks to everyone that reviewed, alerted or just read! =)


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